74th India International Garment Fair Highlights Growth of India’s Textile Sector
03 February 2026: India’s textile and apparel sector has expanded significantly over the past decade, with market size rising from Rs.8.4 lakh crore in 2013-14 to nearly Rs.16 lakh crore in 2025, Union Minister for Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh said at the inauguration of the 74th edition of the India International Garment Fair (IIGF) held at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi, on 23 January 2026.
The inauguration ceremony included the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, release of the fair guide, and an address by the Minister in the presence of exhibitors and international buyers. The Minister also toured several exhibition stalls following the opening. The event, organised as one of Asia’s largest garment sourcing fairs, brings together MSME manufacturers and overseas buyers on a common platform.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Singh described IIGF as an established meeting point for global garment buyers and Indian exporters. He noted that various government measures such as adjustments to Quality Control Orders (QCOs), revisions in RoDTEP and RoSCTL incentives, temporary import duty reductions, and correction of the inverted duty structure had contributed to industry stability. He added that financial support of nearly Rs.50,000 crore had been extended to the sector through export-linked incentive schemes.
Highlighting sector performance, the Minister stated that India’s domestic textile market had grown from Rs.6 lakh crore to Rs.13 lakh crore by 2025, while exports recorded more than 25% growth after the pandemic period. He also observed that textiles remain a major source of employment generation. Export diversification efforts to nearly 40 new countries have begun to show results, with growth reported in markets such as Argentina (77%), Egypt (30%), Poland and Japan (20%) and Sweden and France (10%). He further indicated that the India-EU trade agreement is expected to be concluded shortly.
The Minister also referred to India’s move towards developing indigenous fashion and sizing benchmarks through initiatives such as VisionNxt and IndiaSize, aimed at strengthening domestic design standards in line with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.
Speaking at the event, Dr A. Sakthivel, Chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), said the 74th edition of IIGF features 233 exhibitors across 5,073 square metres and has attracted more than 1,120 registered buyers. He noted that participation from manufacturers across different regions reflects the diversity of India’s production base.
Dr. Sakthivel reported that India’s ready-made garment exports for the period April-December 2025-26 stood at USD11,584.3 million, registering a growth of 2.4% compared with the same period of the previous year, despite global economic uncertainty.
He also outlined industry representations made to the government, including proposals for a Focus Market Scheme for apparel exports to the United States, relaxation of interest equalisation limits, and higher interest subvention rates to support exporters, particularly MSMEs.
International buyers from regions including the Middle East, Europe, East Asia, and Africa attended the fair, representing brands and retail groups from countries such as the UAE, Japan, France, Italy, South Korea, Russia, Spain and Saudi Arabia.
Looking ahead, Dr. Sakthivel stated that the anticipated India–EU Free Trade Agreement and changes in preferential trade access for competing countries could improve India’s position in global apparel markets. He reiterated the industry’s expectation of reaching USD40 billion in apparel exports by 2030 through coordinated efforts between industry and government.
